Station



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN V. VATTS, OF OLABKSVILLE, MISSOURI.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 281,215, dated July 10, 18:33.

A pplicmion filed March 22. 1883.

T0 all, whom if; 11u01/ concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN NV. VAT'rs, of Clarksville, in the county of Pike and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Station-Indicator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rllhe object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for successively showing the names of stations on a railroad, steamboat, or stage line, and calling the attention of the passengers to the apparatus by sounding an alarm.

The invention consists in a-station-indicator constructed with a clock-work mechanism for operating rollers to which a band is attached, which band carries the station names, where,- by when the clock work mechanism is released the band will be wound from one roller to the other, and will be moved across a slot in the front of the station-indicator box, and at the same time an alarnrbell is sounded to call the attention ofthe passengers to thestation-indicator. The rollers are provided with clutching devices whereby the loose cog-wheel (with which each roller is provided) of either roller can be engaged with. a cog-wheel operated by the clock-work mechanism, wherebythe band can be wound in one direction or the other.

The invention also consistsin various parts and details of construction, and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully set forth and described hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved station-indicator, parts being broken out and others shown in section. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on line a: fr, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on line y y, Fig. l. Fig. l is a detail crosssectional elevation of the same on the line z z, Fig. l?.

In a box, A, two rollers, B B', are journaled, between one end of the box and a transverse partition, A', to which rollers B B' the opposite ends of a band, C, are attached, on which the names of the stations are printed 'successively and on transverse lines, which band G (No moda-l.)

passes over rollers D D', adjoining the outer surface or cover E of the box, which cover is provided with a slot through which the names can be seen, which slot is preferably provided with a pane of glass. The band C is wound on the rollers B B' in such a manner that when it is wound on one roller it is unwonnd from the other.

Two tongues, F, pivoted on the inner surface of the rear ofthe box A, are united by a spiral spring, F', which presses one tongue F against the surface of the band on the roller B and the other tongue F on that part of the band on the roller B', as shown in Fig. 4, and thus prevents the band from unwinding too rapidly and becoming loose, and always holds the band taut.

On the ends of the shafts'of the rollers B B' cog-wheels G G' are loosely mounted, and both engage with a middle cog-wheel, H, mounted kon a shaft, J, operated by a spring or weight clock-work mechanism, K, contained within the box A. Each wheel G and G' is provided with a toothed clutch-nut, L L', and adapted to clutclrnuts M M', mounted to slide on the shafts of the rollers and to turn on opposite ends of a lever, N, pivoted between its ends to the box A, and projecting from the bottom ofk the same, whereby if the clutch at the upper end of the lever is engaged with the clutch on the corresponding cog-wheel the clutch at the lower end of the lever will be disengaged, and, vice versa, if the lower clutch is engaged the upper one will be disengaged. A lever, O, pivoted to a vertical partition of the box A, is provided at one end with a button or knob, O', which projects through an opening inthe front of the casing, and is provided at its inner end with a laterally-projecting tongue, l?, adapted to pass into a notch, a, in a disk, Q, mounted on the end of the shaft of the roller D.

At its inner end the lever O is provided with a projecting arm, R, provided at its upper end with a brake-shoe, S, which arm B is drawn by a spring, S', so that the said brakeshoe S will rest against a iiy-wheel, T, of the clock-work mechanism. A cord or wire, U',

connected with the knob or button O', projects from the bottom of the case or box, and is A gong,

provided with a handle-knob, U2.

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V, is secured on the outer surface of the box. A curved hammer, U, projects through an opening, b, in the front of the box, and is pivoted to a partition in the box, and has the end opposite the one within the gong bent, which bent end rests on the teeth of a ratchetwheel, XV, mounted on the shaft J of the clock-work mechanism. The hammer is provided with an arm, d, to which a spiral spring, g, is attached, the other end of which spring is secured to a part of the frame.

On the outer surface of the box the words Next station77 are painted above the slot, and at the right hand of the slot the words miles from77 and the name of one of the end stations are painted or otherwise produced on the cover of the box, and at the same end of the box and below the slot the word to and the name of the other end station are painted or otherwise produced. Along the right-hand edge of the band C the number of miles from each station to the two end stations is painted or otherwise produced, so that when the name of a station shows, the number of miles from the same to the two end stations will appear at the same time. The circumference of the roller D is to be equal to the distance the band C is to be moved each time. The roller D is to be roughened, to prevent the slipping of the band C.

The operation is as follows: If the name appearing in the slot is to be changed, the brakeman or conductor presses the knob O/ inward or pulls the handle-knob U2 downward, whereby the clock work mechanism will be released, as the brake-shoe S will be raised from the ily-wheel T. At the same time the tongue P is removed from the notch a in the disk Q and permits the same to revolve. The rollers B I are revolved by the clock-work mechanism through the shaft J of the wheel H, and the band C is wound on the roller B or B. The disk Q is to be of such size that it makes one revolution during the time that the length of space for one station on the band C is moved across the slot in the front of the casing, so that by the time the band has been moved the desired distance the tongue P will be over the notch (t, and will be drawn into the same by the spring S, whereby the mechanism will be stopped. As the tongue P rests upon the edge of the disk Q. while the same is rotating, and while the band is being wound from one roller to the other, the said tongue cannot pass into the notch a, and thus cannot stop the clock-work mechanism. As soon as the spring S pulls the lever O downward it presses the brake-shoe S against the periphery of the ily-wheel T, and thus stops the clock-work mechanism. By means of the lever N either wheel, G or Gf, can be @einem locked on its shaft by means of the clutches', and the band can thus be wound on the roller B or B, as may be desired. Thelever Oneed only be adjusted at the end of the route. If desired, suitable devices may be provided for locking the lever O in position when adjusted. The hammer U of the alarm-gong is operated by the ratchet-wheel WV when the brake S is released from the wheel T of the clock-wor t.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a station-indicator, the combination, with two rollers, to which the band carrying the names ot' the stations is attached, of cog wheels mounted loosely on the ends of the shafts of the said rollers, an intermediate cogwheel arranged on ashaft operated by a weight or spring engaging with the cog-wheels on the shafts, a clock-work mechanism for operating the cog-wheel engaging with the cog-wheels on the shafts, and of clutching devices for locking the eogfwheels on the shafts, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the band carrying the names can be wound on either roller, as set forth.

2. The lever O, .carrying the outer end kn ob O, spring-arm R, with a brake-shoe at the upper end and laterally-projecting tongue P at the inner end, the disk Q, having the notch a, the fly-wheel T ofthe clock-work mechanism,

and the cord or wire U, having the handle knob U2, and connected with the knob O', 'whereby the mechanism may be made to operate and stop by pressing the knob O or pulling the one U2, as described.

3. In a station-indicator, the combination, with the rollers B 3, ofthe band C, carrying the names of the stations and attached to the said rollers, the rollers D D, the disk Q, provided with a notch, a, and mounted on the end of the shaft of the roller D, and the level' 0, provided with a laterally-projecting tongue, P, adapted to pass into the notch a, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. Ina statioirindicator, the combination, with rollers, anda band carrying the names of the stations attached to the said rollers, of

a clock-work mechanism for rotating the rollers, the lever O, provided with the brake-shoe S, and the spring S, for drawing the brakeshoe on the governingwheel T of the clock mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN XV. XVATTS. -Witnesses:

R. H. CAnvnn, F. XV. PA'r'roN.

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